INCREASING THE CAPACITY OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE: THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF A CAPACITY BUILDING INTERVENTION TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY-BASED PUBLIC HEALTH PREVENTION ACTIVITIES.

Abstract

In order to improve community-based work centered on prevention and health promotion, it is imperative that current and incoming public health professionals develop their capacity. The goal of the cohort- based, facilitated, asynchronous online capacity building intervention Public Health Essentials was to increase the professional confidence and strategic skills of public health workers. The authors of this paper present the findings of a longer-term outcomes evaluation, which includes skill retention, skill application, and potential indicators of workforce retention and community health improvement. Previous research focused on the intervention's short-term learning outcomes. Methods: To evaluate and investigate longer-term outcomes among a sample of Public Health Essentials graduates employed in community public health positions, a sequential mixed-methods research design was employed. Conclusions: Students who successfully complete Public Health Essentials gain transferable skills that they can use in their future public health work, which may encourage them to pursue a career in public health. It is impossible to overestimate the significance of creating and keeping a skilled, community-focused public health workforce. Online asynchronous capacity building programs that are fully facilitated could be a useful instrument.